This February, HuffPost Black Voices is honoring black men and women who are paving the way to a better future for black America. As part of our “Black Future Month” series, we will highlight the work of deserving individuals who are striving to make the world a more inclusive place for generations to come.

For the final installment of our series, we’re honoring six dynamic influencers who shine with creativity, produce stellar platforms, and help to bring greater representation to the fields of arts and entertainment. We hope you admire their work and participate in the conversation online: #BlackFutureMonth.

1Ryan Coogler | Director and Co-Founder of Black Out For Human Rights

Gabriel Olsen via Getty Images

Ryan Coogler is a director, activist and an incredible storyteller. Not only is he using his platform as a director to bring untold stories — such as that of Oscar Grant — to the silver screen, but he is also at the forefront of one of America’s rising civil rights movements. As the founder of the activist collective Black Out For Human Rights, Coogler is rallying filmmakers, musicians, artists, activists and citizens to address human rights issues in the United States. The “Creed” director helped to organize the #MLKNOW event at Harlem’s Riverside Church in January, which brought together some of black Hollywood’s biggest names to recite historical Civil Rights speeches in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Leading up to the event, Coogler opened up to Vice on how his activism is connected to his family lineage. “If you peel the skin back, most people that come from marginalized groups, we all do,” he said. “Activism is survival. It’s what we have to do to survive. Everyone has uncles and grandparents that were activists in their own way. I’m no different.”

Prime said he uses his art to challenge the status quo, which ultimately helps to empower those who praise it. “I believe we can collectively achieve a better black future by owning more of our own businesses and pushing each other to become more educated and aware of the world around us,” he told HuffPost. “Knowledge literally is power. If we are able to empower ourselves we will be far more progressive.”

3Amanda Seales | Comedian, Host, DJ

Courtesy of Amanda Seales

Amanda Seales is the epitome of black excellence. She’s a comedian, DJ, actress, host, public speaker and currently stars in her own hilarious comedy web series, “Get Your Life.” Through her work, Seales consistently speaks out about her experience as a black woman and draws attention to important issues of race and gender.

Looking ahead, Seales wants to continue laying the groundwork that embodies social responsibility. “I consciously create from a space that represents us,” she told HuffPost. “Black culture is such a deep canon of excellence, and I feel a strong sense of accountability to reflect and encourage… in everything I do.”

4Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier | Co-Founders of Black & Sexy TV

Courtesy of Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier

Dennis Dortch & Numa Perrier, co-founders of Black & Sexy TV, are paving the way for young, progressive black audiences in America. Through their online film and web series distribution service, Black & Sexy TV, the pair wants to change the focus of black people “begging and pleading” for acceptance by establishments such as the Oscars. “We are some bad ass people with talent, beauty, style and lingo that other cultures co-opt worldwide on a daily basis,” Dortch told HuffPost. “We won’t feel angry about an Oscar, if we don’t subscribe to the idea that an Oscar is important. We won’t get angry at yet another slave movie or servant character if we have our own shows and movies that reflect the current modern images of ourselves and our friends that we experience every day.”

Instead, the two say creating a better future requires black folks to take action in accepting and acknowledging their worth. “It’s so simple. We take responsibility for ourselves. Take back control of our images and ignore any negative ones as noise,” Perrier said. “That’s power. That’s a better black future that we are responsible for.”

5April Reign | Creator of #OscarsSoWhite

Huffington Post

April Reign is the creator of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag and managing editor of Broadwayblack.com. Reign consistently advocates for better representation of people of color in film and she says her activism reflects her pride. “Being black to me means that I stand on the whipped shoulders of my ancestors because through their sacrifice, I am and I therefore have a responsibility to achieve everything that I am able,” she told HuffPost.

Reign said she draws inspiration from men like Malcolm X and that she hopes her work helps people hold their head a little bit higher and inspires others to move us all toward freedom. “We have to recognize that until we are all free, none of us are,” she said. “So we must extend a hand to all segments of the black community because we all can learn from one another and grow with each other.”

In the Academy Awards’ four acting categories, only Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation”) sits among the forecasted nominees at Gold Derby, a website compiling the predictions of two dozen Oscar pundits. (Netflix)

As Motion Picture Academy members cast their ballots for Oscar nominations this week, the biggest issue for many voters isn’t about who might be nominated but about the diversity of this year’s acting class.

Their fear: The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite will be trending on social media again.

The academy found itself on the defensive last year when white actors earned all 20 of the nominations in the lead and supporting categories. The topic came to define the Academy Awards so much that host Neil Patrick Harris opened the ceremony by quipping: “Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest. Sorry, brightest.”

Yet there’s a strong chance this year’s acting awards will once again be heavily, perhaps exclusively, white, despite the efforts of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to diversify the organization.

In the four acting categories, only Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation”) sits among the forecasted nominees at Gold Derby, a website compiling the predictions of two dozen Oscar pundits.

That could change by the time nomination balloting closes Friday, with some close observers saying that the prospect of another #OscarsSoWhite controversy could even influence the voting.

“If it’s all-white again, nobody’s going to be happy and there might be a growing perception that the academy is out of touch,” said USC history professor Steve Ross, author of several books about Hollywood politics. “It has to be a good performance, but, for some, if they’re deciding between Will Smith and somebody else, they might just go for Will Smith because of what happened last year.”

Some academy members worry privately that another backlash could damage the institution’s reputation, particularly as award shows such as the Emmys and Grammys feature prominent winners of color.

Oscar voters, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the subject’s sensitive nature, seem split between going with their instincts and casting a ballot with an eye toward maintaining the group’s relevancy.

When writer and director Ryan Coogler debuted his blockbuster Rocky Balboa film, “Creed,” the 29-year-old’s other half, Zinzi Evans, was right by his side. Evans is a film industry rising star in her own right. She produced the short film “Locks,” which Coogler wrote and directed.

But, when both parties have found success — or are working toward it — it may become harder to stay focused on their relationship.

Coogler created a similar storyline in Creed’s plot. Adonis (played by Michael B. Jordan) is on a professional mission, but so is his leading lady Bianca (played by Tessa Thompson). For Coogler, this is what the relationship dynamic can be like as more and more women aggressively pursue their career endeavors.

“What does love look like in the mid-2010s?” Coogler said in an interview with Comicbook.com.

“…she’s trying to make it in her thing, he’s trying to make it in his things and they’ve got to line up because if they don’t, then it won’t work out.”

Certified marriage and family therapist Nikhol B. Jackson understands the type of feelings that can arise in this increasingly common situation.

“Difficulties that often occur are feelings of neglect, resentment, loneliness, arrogance and self-doubt,” Jackson said. “A lack of sense of control or involvement typically creates those feelings.”

So, how do you and your partner align your separate lifestyles into one? Here are five ways that people successfully get — or keep — power couple status:

1. They build strong, supportive structures for their relationships.

Support really does go both ways. It’s important to make sure that your partner truly does feel supported, and it’s essential to give him or her the space to actually support you back.

“Supporting your mate does not mean you become a doormat and sit back and watch the world go by,” Jackson said. “It means you encourage them, praise them, assist when and where needed, constructively criticize when needed, etc. Supporting cannot be done without the opportunity and space to do so. The other spouse has to provide a safe space so that the support is welcomed.”

2. They manage their time.

Time is often described as a precious resource because once it’s spent, it never comes back. Both pushing toward your career goals and building a relationship requires a great deal of time, but you’ll have much more of it if you can recognize what activities are actually worth doing.

“I think that there is a difference between being successful and being busy,” Jackson said. “A person can be extremely busy, going here and there doing a number of things but not really successfully completing anything and excelling. Understanding which category that you and your mate fall into is key.”

3. They prioritize.

&amp;amp;lt;img class=”alignright size-medium wp-image-473745″ src=”https://ioneblackdoctor.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/zinzi-evans-ryan-coogler-45th-naacp-image-awards.jpg?w=200&amp;amp;amp;#038;h=300″ alt=”Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Evans” width=”200″ height=”300″ title=”Black Power Couples: 5 Things They Do Right” /&amp;amp;gt;No matter how overused the terms may be, both time management and planning can keep you and your partner happy.

“My husband and I make it a priority to have date night at least one night a month,” Jackson said. “We have an awesome support system, which helps in this area, so often times we get an entire weekend to ourselves. It may sound cliché but you have to make time for the things that are important.”

4. They speak up.

When something is going on in your relationship that you don’t like or understand, it’s time to speak up.

“Communication is key,” Jackson said. “It is easy to discuss the good and comfortable stuff: schedules, planning, project ins and outs. We often times shy away from discussing the uncomfortable things. If there is an issue address it immediately. Small problems become mountains when left undressed and are much harder to overcome.”

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5. They can work together, but are clear on expectations.

Collaborating with a partner who is in a related field can be a really good way to spend time together and provide added support, but avoid being in situations that may cause extra drama that you’ll likely take home with you. Clarity can help.

It appears Marvel Studios wants to bet on a black director to bring to life their iconic Black Panther superhero. Months after Selma director Ava Duvernay passed on the project, Marvel is now rumored to be eyeing Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler to helm the film, according to Heroic Hollywood.

Black Panther will be Marvel’s first film featuring a black superhero as the title character. The film studio seems to understand the historical significance of the character. The Black Panther was perhaps the first black mainstream comic book superhero when he was created in 1966. His alter-ego is an African king named T’Challa who rules the fictitious nation of Wakaanda, that is also suppose to be one of the world’s most technologically advanced in the Marvel Universe.

One of Hollywood’s most powerful black agents is taking on a new entrepreneurial endeavor. Charles King is leaving his position as partner and motion picture agent at William Morris Endeavor to form MACRO, a startup that will focus on developing content for multicultural audiences, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Los Angeles-based firm initially will focus on developing and distributing feature films, TV series and digital content targeting African-American, Latino and multicultural markets.

Named by Black Enterprise as one of the “Top 50 Powerbrokers in Hollywood,” King, 45, is noted for an impressive client roster of A-listers that includes Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, and M. Night Shyamalan. The first African-American partner at WME, King told The Hollywood Reporter that he’s always had an eye for starting his own media firm and now the timing is right. “There is a need for a vehicle like this,” he said. “It will make a statement and provide an outlet. I want it to blaze a road for others to follow much like what I’ve done already in the agency world.”

MACRO’s goal is to focus on audiences that have long been underserved by the traditional entertainment industry. “I’ve been sitting in these rooms for the last 15 years. The studios aren’t focused on it; the packagers aren’t focused on it,” King added. “There’s a huge void and a huge opportunity.”

He pointed to the lack of capital available to minority-focused filmmakers and says he’s looking to change that with MACRO, which will leverage crowdfunding platforms and co-financing to target films that range from “artistically inclined independents” in the $1 million to $3 million budget range up to $20 million projects. He notes such films as Barbershop, The Butler and Ride Along as examples of the types of projects he hopes to produce.

King reportedly already has lined up projects from filmmakers Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow). Both were represented by King at WME. Brewer, whose films which feature predominantly African-American casts have been hard to sell to studios, credited King with helping open doors for him.

King, who has helped fund more than a dozen startups as a part-time angel investor, also has ambitions to expand MACRO to include investing in and incubating new technologies and lifestyle brands. In addition, he is exploring setting up a multichannel network that would curate content for multicultural audiences. He cited Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital and Latino-focused MiTu as examples of MCNs making strides in that arena, but says the marketplace is hungry for more of that content.

Also according to The Hollywood Reporter, King has brought on advisors including Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos and Citibank head of corporate and investment banking Raymond McGuire to help him with the company’s long-term ambitions. He is also in the process of assembling a team of film, television and digital executives.

Michael B. Jordan speaks at The CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards brought to you by The Coca-Cola Company during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 27, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for CinemaCon)